Mechanism for working fibrous material



July 16, 1929. BIDWELL 1.720.715

uzcmmrsu FORVTWORKIING FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed 001;. 15, 1926 Int/62am" ZcQar/YfiiizueZZ, '3 I j fl y Patented July 16, 1929. V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.EDGAR MERRITT BIDWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 015 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MECHANISM FOR WORKING FIBROUS MATERIAL.

Application filed October 15, 1926. Serial No. 141,699.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for working fibrous material, and more particularly to mechanism for forming pulpous material to constitute a homoge- 5 neous coating for cores in strand form, such as wire and the like. i

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for rapidly and cfliciently forming fibrous material on a 1 core to constitute a homogeneous and unin terrupted coating therefor conforming to the shape of the core.

In accordance with the general features of the. invention there is provided in one embodiment thereof a rotatable member having an axial opening ada ted to accommodate a core with a coating 0 pulp attached thereto. A freely rota-ting roll cooperating with a sleeve loosely carried thereby serves to form the pulpous material around the core to constitute a coating therefor conforming to the shape of the core. The core with its attached pulpous material is passedbetween the outer cylindricalsurface of the roll and the inner cylindrical surface of the sleeve.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detail description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, wherein y 30 1 is a longitudinal section of a forming mechanism embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof;

Fig-3 isan end elevation thereof;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views illustrating the manner in which the pulp is applied to the core before it is delivered to the forming mechanism, and Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional views showing the formation of the pulp coating immediately after starting the forming operation and after the completion of the forming operation, respectively.

The forming mechanism herein, shown and described is adapted to be used in conjunction with 'the apparatus for coating cores with pulp shown and described in :patent to H. G. Walker, No. 1,615,423, issued January 25, 1927. i In the operation of this apparatus a core is brought into contact with pulpousmaterial deposited upon a. foraminousmember and then an additional amount of pulpous material is deposited upon the core and the foraminous member. The pulp so deposited and the core are then brought into contact with a felt covered squeezing roll which cooperates with the foraminous member to squeeze out the free liquid from the pulp. The partially dried pulp adheres to the core in the form of a ribbon with the core substantially centrally located therein, as 1s shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawmg. The core with the pulp ribbon attached thereto is then passed through a plurality of squeezing rolls which impart to the pulpous ribbon a contour such as is illustrated in Fig. 5.

A forming mechanism embodying the features of the present invention is designed to receive a core with its pulpous ribbon from the squeezing rolls and wrap the projecting edges of the ribbon around the core and around each other to form a coating for the core which substantially conforms to the shape thereof. The appearance of the coating immediately after starting the forming operation is shown in Fig. 6 and its appearance after the forming operation is completed is shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 10 indicates a supporting head or carrier having a threaded portion 11 by means of which it is secured to a sleeve 12 rotatably journaled in a plurality of bearings, one of which is shown at 13. -The sleeve 12 may be rotated by any suitable means and thus constitutes means for rotating the'carrier 10. The carrier 10 and sleeve 12 are provided with aligned, central lon itudinal apertures 14 and 15, respectively, or accommodating acore 17 with its attached pulpous coating 18 drawn axially therethrough by anysuitable means (not shown).

Secured to the carrier 10 and disposed eccentrically with respect to the rotating axis thereof is a.v forwardly projecting spindle 20 upon which is rotatably supported a cylindrical roll 21. Loosely suspended upon, the roll 21 is. a. cylindrical sleeve 22 whichis flared at each end, as indicated at 23.. The arrangement is such that as the core with its attached ribbon of pulp is passed axially through the rotatmg, carrier 10. the ul ous ribbon is enby theouter-cy-in rical surface of the rol 21 and the inner cylindrical surfacepf the sleeve 22,'the'latter being held in pressing engagement with the pulpous ribbon due forwardly projecting U-shaped portion 24 of the carrier 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the flared ends 23 of the sleeve 22 are designed so as to be slidable bet-ween parallel walls 25 and 26 of the U-shaped portion 24. Due to this construct-ion, the sleeve 22 adjusts itself very quickly to variations in the diameter of the core or the thickness of the pulp coating.

The forward end of the roll 21 is tapered as indicated at 27 (Fig. 1) and cooperates with the flared forward end of the sleeve 23 to gradually wrap the pulpous ribbon around the core,-thus preventing any strip-- ping of the pulp from portions of the core. The formation of the pulpous ribbon after it is first acted upon by the forward ends of the roll 21 and'sleeve 22 is illustrated in Fig. 6. I

As the core with its attachedribbon of pulp is drawn axially through the rotating carrier in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 1), the sleeve 22 also tends to move in the direction of the moving core due to its frictional contact therewith. The end of the sleeve engages an anti-friction roller 28 carried upon a pin 29 secured-to a plug 30 threaded into the carrier 10 (Fig.

1). This construction permits the free rotation of the sleeve 22 on its own axis during the forming operation as hereinbefore described. I

In the operation of the above described forming mechanism, the core with its attached ribbon of pulp 18 is drawn axially through the carrier 10 and the sleeve 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 1), the carrier and sleeve being rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 3), thus causing the roll 21 to be rotated bodily around the moving core. In so doing, the roll 21 also rotates on its own axis in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 3) due to its frictional contact with the pulpous ribbon.

- also rotates on its own axis in a direction Furthermore, the sleeve 22.

As hereinbefore described, the sleeve 22 is loosely suspended upon the roll 21. This construction permits the free passage of any irregularity such as a knot or abnormal thickness of the ulpous material, thus eliminating any danger of the core breaking due to such causes. Furthermore, due to centrifugal force, the sleeve 22 returns to its normal position immediately after the passage of any such irregularity, thus producing a coating which is of substantially uniform thickness throughout the length of the core.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for Working fibrous material on a core, a forming member comprising an element surrounding the core and having a surface constantly in rolling engagement with said fibrous material.

2. In a mechanism for working fibrous material on a core, a forming member comprising an element loosely surrounding the core andhaving a cylindrical surface constantly in rolling engagement with said fibrous material.

3. In a mechanism for working fibrous material on a core, an element constantly engaging the fibrous material, and a member surrounding the core and having a cylindrical surface constantly in rolling engagement with said fibrous material.

4. In a mechanism for working fibrous material on a core, an element having a surface constantly in rolling engagement with the fibrous material, and a member loosely surrounding said element and the core.

5. In a mechanism for working fibrous material on a core,'a plurality of forming membersrotating in opposite directions and having surfaces constantly in rolling engagement with said fibrous material.

6. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a plurality of forming members rotating in opposite directions and having cylindrical surfaces of different diameters constantly in rolling engagement with said pulpous material.

7. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a forming member comprising a rotatable element havin a cylindrical surface constantly in rol ing engagement with the pulpous material, and a cylindrical sleeve loosely surrounding said rotatable member and the core, the inner cylindrical surface of said sleeve being constantly in rolling engagement with said pulpous material.

8. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a rotatable carrier, a freely rotating forming roll disposed eccentric-ally with respect to the rotating axis of said carrier and having a cylindrical surface constantly in rolling engagement with the pulpous material, and a cylindrical sleeve hav ng a flared opening loosely strrounding the formin roll and the core, the inner cylindrical surface of said sleeve being constantly in rolling engagement with said pulpous material.

9. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a forming member comprising an element loosely surrounding the core and having a cylindrical surface con-- stantly in rolling engagement with the pulpous material, and means for preventing displacement of said element in a given direction.

10. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a rotatable carrier, a plurality of cylindrical forming members of diiferent diametersupported by said carrier and having cylindrical pulp engaging surfaces, and-means for rotating said carrier to cause the forming members to rotate in opposite directions. I l

11. In a mechanism for working fibrous .normally in engagement with the fibrous material, and means cooperating withsaid element for causing a wrapping of the fibrous material around the core upon the advancement of the fibrous coated core.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of Sept. A. D., 1926.

EDGAR MERRITT BIDWELL. 

